Virgin offers three weekly flights between Brisbane and Port Vila. The carrier said after a further review of the runway on Wednesday, it had decided it would only operate one last return service between Brisbane and Port Vila on Saturday to return customers to their port of origin.

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"Customers who are booked to travel to or from Vanuatu will be provided with a number of options, such as a refund, change of destination or travel credit," the airline said.

"We will continue to work with authorities in Vanuatu and plan to recommence services between Brisbane and Vanuatu as soon as we are confident that appropriate measures are in place."

Air Vanuatu and Solomon Airlines, which also have jet operations to the airport, have yet to announce any plans to suspend services. Air Vanuatu flies between Sydney and Brisbane and Port Vila. Fiji Airways, which uses smaller turboprop aircraft, is also continuing to fly.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vanuatu (CAAV) on Saturday said it had directed the airport operator to act on measures required by airlines to ensure jet operations could continue safely.

"It is a fact that the runway is urgently due a resurfacing or repair and this was further exacerbated by the effects of the recent Tropical Cyclone Pam," CAAV director Joesph Niel said, referring to last year's damaging storm.

Mr Niel said the airport operator would immediately work on repairs and impose extra safety measures such as cautionary markings and sweeping the runway to trap and remove any foreign objects.

"That's on the advice of the Downer manager here, who accompanied Aecom on the inspection of the airstrip and has the solution at hand to do an immediate fix, but that immediate fix involves moving materials from New Zealand to Vanuatu," he said.

Mr Death said a team from the World Bank was expected to fly over to Vanuatu in the coming week.

"I am sure the offer that is on the table will be renegotiated and we are very hopeful that will lead to the full overlay of the runway being completed this year," he said.